Editor’s note: This is Part 2 of a 12-part series breaking down the Pittsburgh Steelers at each position in the offseason. All salary cap information courtesy spotrac.com or overthecap.com:

The participants in Super Bowl LV are proof having a strong running game isn’t a prerequisite to achieving playoff success.

Neither the Kansas City Chiefs nor Tampa Bay Buccaneers employed any of the nine players who reached 1,000 yards rushing this season, relying instead on the arm of a quarterback chasing his second consecutive championship and one appearing in a record 10th Super Bowl, respectively.

The Chiefs finished 16th in the NFL in rushing during the regular season, and only four teams had fewer rushing yards than the No. 28 Buccaneers. Tampa Bay’s Ronald Jones, with 978 yards, finished No. 12 among individual rushers, and Kansas City rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire, with 803 yards, was No. 19.

The Pittsburgh Steelers, of course, weren’t nearly as successful while trying to overcome the deficiencies of their running game, losing to Cleveland, 48-37, in a turnover-filled wild-card game.

The Steelers crafted a 12-4 regular-season record around an offense centered on Ben Roethlisberger’s short passing. But Roethlisberger’s late-season regression, his age — he turns 39 in March — and a change in offensive coordinators could lead to a heavier reliance on running the football for the Steelers in 2021.

The Steelers have nowhere to go but up in terms of improving their running game, which produced an NFL-low 1,351 yards last season, an average of 84.4 yards per game.

James Conner was the starting tailback for the third year in a row, and he rushed for 721 yards in 13 games — No. 21 in the league — while averaging 4.3 yards per carry. Conner, though, continued his history of missing games, sitting out two because of covid-19 and one because of a quadriceps injury.

The Steelers — and Conner — started well. Conner had three 100-yard games in the first five of the season, and the Steelers ranked No. 9 overall after Week 9. Then came the nosedive, as the Steelers topped 50 yards rushing just twice the rest of the way.

Given Conner will be an unrestricted free agent in March, the Steelers could take the Ralph Kiner approach to his return. They finished last in rushing with him, so they can do it without him.

Expect the Steelers to move on from Conner and find a featured back early in the NFL Draft. They likely will address an aging offensive line first with the No. 24 overall pick but could target a running back on the second day but risk having the top two prospects — Clemson’s Travis Etienne and Alabama’s Najee Harris — being gone by then.

If the Steelers simply choose to retool the offensive line and replace Conner from within, first in line would be Benny Snell, who gained 368 yards and averaged just 3.3 yards per carry while mainly serving as a short-yardage runner.

Anthony McFarland Jr. was supposed to provide the occasional splash as a change-of-pace back in his rookie season but had a long run of 20 yards and finished with 113 in 11 games. He was inactive for the playoff loss.

Jaylen Samuels will be entering his fourth season but struggled to find a role last season. He had only 18 touches in 14 games.

The Steelers never committed to using fullback Derek Watt outside of special teams in his first season with the team. Watt is due a $1 million roster bonus and a $1.75 million salary in 2021, which could make him a salary-cap casualty.

Offseason outlook: RBs

Returnees

Benny Snell Jr., 2 years left on contract, $1,025,517 cap hit for 2021

Jaylen Samuels, 1 year left on contract, $984,516 cap hit for 2021

Anthony McFarland Jr., 3 years left on contract, $960,608 cap hit for 2021

Trey Edmunds, 1 year left on contract, $850,000 cap hit for 2021

Derek Watt (fullback), 2 years left on contract, $3,833,333 cap hit for 2021

Free agents

James Conner, unrestricted, $1,001,152 cap hit in 2020

Tomorrow: Wide receivers

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